<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Fox's Treasure by dotH4CK3R</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29647509">A Fox's Treasure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotH4CK3R/pseuds/dotH4CK3R'>dotH4CK3R</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Disaster Luz Noceda, F/F, Fluff, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, I love Japanese mythology if you couldn't tell, Kitsune Amity, Pining, Tamamizu AU, The Tale of Tamamizu, eventual angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:02:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,232</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29647509</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dotH4CK3R/pseuds/dotH4CK3R</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luz is a mere human, cheerful and kind, even if she is a bit lonely.</p><p>Amity is a kitsune, a magical fox, who longs to be with her.</p><p>There have been many stories told of foxes and humans, of the tragedies that ensue when one falls in love with those to whom they can not belong. But the lure of happiness is a difficult one to resist, and Amity wishes most of all to be able to make Luz the happiest of all.</p><p>Watch carefully, as the seasons pass, as this tale unfolds.</p><p>Watch and pray for the happiness of this foolish fox.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Fox's Treasure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome welcome to A Fox's Treasure, heavily inspired by Japanese mythology and folklore! A certain story in particular called The Tale of Tamamizu. Fair warning, I'm not going to be fully focused on making this a 100% period-accurate piece, but I'll do my best not to be too egregious. Anyways, please do enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>On a lovely spring day, in a beautiful flower garden surrounded by trees of enchantingly stunning blooms of wisteria, a young girl played. She frolicked and danced, she laughed and cheered, the smile on her face as radiant as the sun that shone down upon her. Untamed locks of dark brown hair glistened in the sunlight, framing a face of tanned skin and doe-brown eyes that shone brightly with an inner warmth. Her <em>kimono</em>, a simple affair as blue as the sky and blooming with cherry blossoms in celebration of the season, secured with a lavender <em> obi </em> tied around her waist, seemed to flow around her as she moved.</p><p>Eventually, unwillingly, the girl eventually tired and collapsed into the flowers, giggling the whole way through. After a moment of respite she sat up, idly picking at the flowers around her and weaving them together, humming a tuneless yet charming song to herself as she did so. A soft chittering caught her attention as she worked on her creation and she turned to the source with an even wider smile. "Hey there little buddy! I was wondering when you'd show up."</p><p>The newcomer was a fox with gorgeous red fur and sparkling golden eyes, weaving its way towards her through the flowers with a grace the girl both envied and admired. Ever since that fateful day when she had come across a gang of girls jeering and throwing stones at the trembling creature and leaped in without a second thought to protect the innocent fox, whenever she visited the flower garden, so too did the fox. She reached out a hand to the fox and it pressed its face into her palm, nuzzling her with its cheek. The sound and vibrations of a purr emanating from the happy fox elicited a delighted laugh from the girl.</p><p>"Here! I made this for you," the girl said, placing a crown of violets on the fox's head. It barked happily at receiving the gift before settling down patiently as she worked on another. This one she placed on her own head, grinning at the fox as she did so. "Now we match!" She reached out to pet the fox again and once more it nuzzled her outstretched hand. It was a routine to be repeated constantly as the day wore on, until at last it was time for the girl to return home.</p><p>"I'll see you later, little buddy," she said as she pet the fox one last time. At its disappointed expression she laughed softly and cupped its face in both of her hands. "I know, I wanna play more too. But my mom is gonna worry if I'm gone too long and as much as I'd love to bring you with me I don't think she'd be happy with me bringing a wild fox home. Even if you are my only friend," she added, sadness creeping into her tone. The fox pushed forward, rubbing its nose against hers and eliciting a surprised giggle from the girl. As though satisfied with drawing a smile from her, the fox bounded away, disappearing from the girl's view amongst the wisteria trees.</p><p>And then, in a burst of purple fire, took on the form of a young girl who pressed her face into her hands, a vivid blush spreading from her face to her neck as she leaned back against the trunk of a wisteria tree.</p><p>As it would happen, the fox was no ordinary fox. She was a true <em> kitsune </em> with the power to assume a human form, though her current state did nothing to hide the features that marked her as inhuman. Two pointed, furry ears sat twitching happily atop a head of spring-green hair that met her skull in patches of earthy brown and fell neatly to her shoulders, crimson streaks decorated the outer corners of her eyes, matching the ones over each brow, and from behind her a green-furred fox tail tipped with brown waved in delight. Aside from those features, she looked like any other girl; a pale porcelain otherworldly beauty of a girl wearing a silken dark blue <em> kimono </em> patterned gorgeously with red and white butterflies, a magenta <em> obi </em> wrapped just under her bust to accentuate her figure, but otherwise unremarkable.</p><p>The fox's name was Amity, and she knew the human's name to be Luz from prior encounters with her. Ever since that fateful day when she had been too careless, stepping too far into the flower garden and getting tormented by an annoying gang of human girls only to be saved by that <em> wonderful, kind, sweet, and amazing </em>girl, she'd found herself becoming more and more drawn to her. More and more she longed for the human's touch, more and more she wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh and just bask in the warmth and radiance that her very presence seemed to exude. Those precious moments she spent with Luz in the flower garden were but raindrops in an endless drought, fleeting moments that came and went far too soon.</p><p>Reaching up, Amity gently removed the flower crown from her head and held it tenderly in her hands, a wistful smile on her lips. Yes, she was absolutely smitten with the human and she absolutely knew it. That smile faded as she remembered that yes, Luz was human. And she, Amity, was a fox. No <em> mere </em> fox admittedly, that would be insulting her status as a <em> kitsune </em>, but that divide still existed. That insurmountable gap and the knowledge that if she ever revealed her true self to Luz, she would lose her. Because how could a human willingly bring themselves to love a fox?</p><p>Yet despite everything she couldn't bring herself to stop seeing Luz. It pained her to even consider the thought, to think that it might be better off for the both of them if she stayed away from the flower garden from now on. But Amity didn't want to. If anything, she yearned for more. But there was nothing she could do. Was she cursed to spend the rest of her days mooning over a girl she could not have? If only she were not a fox, if only she had been born a human too, then maybe she could...</p><p>Wait.</p><p>Hold on a second.</p><p><em> That's it! </em> Amity thought, her eyes widening at a revelation she had never considered before. The idea was reckless, dangerous even, and had all sorts of consequences if she was careless. But the thought of just pining away like this, never able to even <em> speak </em> to her or act like anything other than a <em> mere fox </em> around her, steeled her resolve. Her growing excitement at being able to actually spend more time with Luz and the fantasies of other activities they could partake in together didn't hurt in hardening it further.</p><p>So she set out for a being she was certain would be able to aid her cause, if she were to be able to convince her to do so. High in the mountains where humans could not tread, the rocky pass made simple for a <em> kitsune </em> such as herself with her agility and magic, there dwelled a guardian. A divine protector that would punish those who dared to trespass on sacred ground, seek retribution for the sake of the wronged, and offer knowledge and guidance to those worthy enough to receive it.</p><p>Or, if you were like Amity, you could simply pop in for a visit to a former mentor.</p><p>"You want to do <em> what? </em>"</p><p>There was normally not much that could surprise Lilith these days. As a <em> tengu </em> tasked with the guardianship of her mountain and all who lived there, she made it her prerogative to know all that occurred there. She had even known about Amity's frequent visits to the human flower garden, even keeping her silence on it out of respect for her former protege. She thought she knew Amity well enough by now, having schooled her in the ways of magic at the behest of the fox's parents since even before Amity knew how to assume a humanoid form. But judging by the rather outlandish favor Amity was asking of her now, she apparently did not know her as well as she'd believed.</p><p>"I want to become a human," Amity repeated plainly, sipping her tea. The two of them were sitting in a side room of Lilith's estate, one reserved for more informal meetings, kneeling on soft cushions at a low table on a <em> tatami </em> floor, drinking tea that Lilith had prepared for them. The <em> tengu </em> herself had the appearance of a tall, pale, but imposing woman with long raven black hair that matched perfectly with the feathers of her large wings, wearing monk's robes colored in deep shades of gray and black, and piercing cyan eyes that were currently boring into the <em> kitsune </em> before her.</p><p>Setting her cup back down, Amity tilted her head curiously, ears twitching as she considered Lilith's reaction. "Is there not a way to do so?"</p><p>"To be frank, no, there isn't," Lilith sighed. "But I am assuming you don't mean to <em> literally </em> become human and instead seek to integrate into human society?"</p><p>Amity blushed as she realized how poor her choice of words had been and nodded. </p><p>Letting out a soft hum, Lilith carefully observed her former pupil. "For what reason, exactly, do you wish to do this? Even Emira and Edric only interact with humans for brief periods of time and your parents even less so; it's far safer and carries less of a risk of exposing your true nature."</p><p>"I know," Amity said softly, "but I want to do this. There's..." She trailed off, hesitating, and Lilith raised a finger to trace a glowing circle encasing a five-pointed star in the air that expanded to cover the room and vanished. None of her words would be heard outside the room. With a grateful smile, Amity continued, albeit still somewhat uncertain. "There's someone I want to get close to, a human girl, and... I want to be around her. I want her to know <em> me </em>. Not just as some fox she saved, but..."</p><p>"As you, as Amity," Lilith finished for her. Amity could see the worry in her eyes and knew they were thinking about the same thing. The stories and tales of beings like themselves who fell in love with humans and the humans who fell in love with them, and the tragedies that resulted from acting on those feelings. She was setting herself up for a long fall down and they both knew it. But Amity still wanted to try. Determined golden eyes met concerned cyan ones and held their gaze. Eventually Lilith caved, looking away with a small sigh.</p><p>"Very well. As it turns out, I do know someone who can help you." Before Amity could speak, Lilith held up a finger. "I am obligated to remind you, however, that you cannot under any circumstances allow any humans to discover your true nature. Should you be revealed, you will be forced to leave, never to return."</p><p>Amity nodded without a trace of hesitation, a steely resolve shining in her eyes. "I understand. But if that is what it takes, then so be it."</p><p>Late at night, Lilith led the <em> kitsune </em> to the outskirts of the town, approaching a home sitting not too far outside of town but quite a distance away from any roads. Aware of the danger of being spotted by any locals, if anyone had noticed them all they would have seen was a fox seemingly following a raven. Still a bit of an odd sight, but nothing alarming. </p><p>As though the inhabitant inside were expecting them, light shone from within and Lilith flew in through an open window while Amity sat patiently in front of the door. Her ears twitched at the sudden burst of annoyed and unintelligible yelling punctuated by the cawing of a raven and, oddly, the hooting of owls. Finally, once the yelling had settled, the door slid open, revealing a woman as tall, pale, and imposing as Lilith, though her redheaded mane of hair, inquisitive amber eyes, and prominent gold fang gave her a wild, untamed impression. Whatever sense of intimidation she may have given off, however, was ruined by the loose blue-and-white striped <em> yukata </em> she wore, her grouchy expression tipping Amity off to the fact that she may not have been as awake as she'd initially thought.</p><p>The woman's eyes fell on the fox and she stared for a moment before her face broke out into a grin, her eyes twinkling as she let out a bark of laughter. Amity had no idea what she was finding so funny, but as the stranger stepped aside to let her in, the fox accepted the invitation. As the door was slid shut behind her, Amity took a moment to examine the interior.</p><p>And then another.</p><p>And one more, just in case.</p><p>She had expected to see a small, single-room interior, maybe with a hearth set in the entryway; something simple. What she hadn't expected was for the entryway to extend into a hallway that then expanded into, from what she could tell, a veritable maze of rooms. She could also see the bustling of lesser <em> tengu </em> moving from room to room, most of them bearing humanoid forms but with the heads of birds. Though she couldn't ever recall seeing ones with owl heads before.</p><p>"Welcome to the Owl House, Little Pup," came a voice from behind her and Amity turned to see the woman now wearing monk's robes in various shades of red, a pair of large wings with mottled brown feathers extending from her back, a tall staff topped with the carving of an owl in her hand. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she tapped the staff against the ground, Amity yelping in surprise as a circle of amber light formed around her and, in a puff of smoke, reverted her to her humanoid form. "I'm Eda, Lily's younger, more beautiful sister. Never thought I'd get to meet one of Oddy and Dory's litter, <em> especially </em> not asking for my help."</p><p>"Wait, 'Oddy'? 'Dory'? You know my--"</p><p>"Come on, right this way Little Pup," Eda said cheerily, marching past her with (no doubt purposefully) loud clacks of her <em>tengu</em> <em>geta</em> against the floor. "From what Lily's told me, we've got quite a bit to talk about and I've got a much better place to discuss things than by the door." With an annoyed huff Amity followed the odd <em>tengu</em>, but eventually her curiosity won over and she tried to peek into various rooms they passed by. </p><p>It was a lot to take in. Several were filled with various knick-knacks Amity assumed were "acquired" from humans in one way or another; wooden toys, paper lanterns, kitchen implements, and other various bits and bobs piled haphazardly in these rooms at random. Others held scrolls, clay pots filled with mysterious concoctions, at one point she thought she saw a giant nest of all things, until Eda finally led her to a door that opened into a rather simple tearoom where she saw Lilith was already seated and enjoying a cup of tea.</p><p>Once Amity and Eda were seated and provided with tea of their own, Amity told Eda about her situation and her request, the owl <em> tengu </em> not saying a word while the <em> kitsune </em> spoke. Not that she needed to; Amity could see the growing smirk on Eda's face, the gleam in her eyes increasing steadily in its intensity. Even Lilith noticed and her growing expression of concern and alarm did the exact opposite of reassuring Amity that coming to her sister for help had been a good idea. </p><p>Finally, when explanations were over and done, Eda was stroking her chin thoughtfully, an eyebrow quirked at the reddening fox. Her smirk turned into a mischievous grin that increased Amity's concern. She calmly took a sip from her tea, clearly enjoying watching Amity squirm. Finally, when the tension was about to reach a breaking point, Eda spoke.</p><p>"Yeah, sure. I can help the kit out."</p><p>A wave of relief swept through Amity, even as she noticed that Eda's expression had not changed in the least.</p><p>"I can even do you one better," Eda continued. "I'm familiar with that girl, Luz. She frequents my shop whenever she gets the chance. And as it so happens, I'm on pretty good terms with her mom, too."</p><p>"You know Luz? You'll be able to introduce us?" Amity asked, excitement creeping into her tone. Realizing this, her face reddened further and she tried to distract herself with her cup of tea. The mischievous twinkle in Eda's eyes brightened.</p><p>"Oh definitely. With my help, you'll be spending more time with her than you'll know what to do with." Snickering at the blush that seemed to consume the <em> kitsune </em>'s entire body, Eda snapped her fingers, breaking Amity out of her fantasies and drawing back her attention. "But there's a few things I need to check before we start. I'm sure Lily already reminded you what'll happen if a human figures out you're a fox; what I need you to show me is that you can pull off a human disguise."</p><p>Amity nodded as she stood, taking a deep breath and exhaling to calm her nerves. <em> It's a very simple spell, you can do this! </em> Carefully she raised a finger and summoned a small ball of magenta foxfire at its tip, using it to trace a circle in the air, followed by a pentagram within it. Each point of the pentagram was marked with foxfire, and once complete the spell circle became a flame that washed over her and faded to reveal the results of her transformation.</p><p>Gone were her fox ears and tail, invisible were the markings on her face. Amity reached up to the sides of her head, almost recoiling in surprise when she found two round fleshy protrusions that she realized were human ears. Opening her mouth, she ran a finger across her teeth, noting that her fangs were also gone. She inspected the rest of her body, but couldn't find any other significant changes. Hopefully this was accurate enough; she'd used her time with Luz as a guide.</p><p>Nodding approvingly, Eda stood and went over to Amity, circling her as she examined Amity's transformation. "Not bad for your first try, Little Pup. Not bad at all." Abruptly, she poked Amity's side, resulting in a startled yelp, but Eda simply nodded again. "Holds up pretty well too, bet she was a great student, huh Lily?"</p><p>Lilith nodded with a proud smile. "Amity worked especially hard to become as proficient in magic as she is. I had no doubt that her spellwork would meet your expectations."</p><p>Amity flushed at the praise, though she couldn't help but smile a little at her former mentor's words. After another couple minutes of inspection (and another couple unexpected jabs) Eda sat back down, gesturing Amity to do the same. "Well, I can't find any issues. As long as you don't accidentally dispel your transformation in the middle of the night or get lazy and forget to make your shadow match your form you should be good to go."</p><p>"So does that mean...?"</p><p>"That's right! Come back after two days and I'll be able to introduce you to the girl of your dreams." Eda laughed heartily as Amity's face instantly turned a bright shade of red. After being thanked profusely by the <em> kitsune </em> Eda summoned one of her lesser <em> tengu </em>aids to show her out, and soon enough it was just herself and Lilith.</p><p>"Edalyn, you're not scheming something, are you?" Lilith asked, her eyes giving away her suspicion. "I know you're not on... well, the best of terms with her parents, but Amity is--"</p><p>"I'm gonna stop you right there, sis," Edal interrupted, looking offended at Lilith's implication. "First off, I have no problem with the kit; I only met her today and I already like her more than those two. Which isn't saying much because I hate their guts, but she seems like a nice kid. Two, I'm also doing this for Luz." Eda sighed, leaning an elbow on the low table as she nursed a half-empty cup of tea. "I've gotten to know the kid pretty well Lily, and I don't like the situation she's in. She and her mom deserve better than what they've got. I can't help them the way things are now, but Amity..."</p><p>Eda trailed off, allowing the pause to hang in the air before laughing. "Well, you know what they say about fools in love." </p><p>Lilith bit back a comment, smiling to herself as she sipped at her tea and deciding to simply enjoy her sister's company. <em> From what I've heard, you're one to talk, Edalyn. </em> The <em> tengu </em> sisters continued their talk long into the night, swapping stories about the two young girls they were aiding.</p><p>By the time the two day wait had come to an end, Amity was nearing her limits. For two whole days she had avoided the flower garden, as she had no idea whether her heart would be able to take the strain of seeing Luz and knowing that very, <em> very </em> soon she would be able to spend time with her without putting on an act. Well, put on <em> less </em> of an act. At least she didn't have to act like a dumb fox around Luz anymore. Even if she gave the most <em> amazing </em> chin scratches and had such a soft and gentle touch when stroking her fur and always found the perfect spot right under her ears...</p><p>Wait, no. No. She couldn't think about that right now, she had to focus on explicitly <em> non-fox </em> thoughts. Attempting (and not entirely succeeding) to calm her nerves, on the morning of the third day Amity approached the Owl House, noting with curiosity how ordinary it looked on the outside compared to the chaos she knew existed within. When she knocked on the door, it took only a moment for it to slide open and reveal the smallest <em> tengu </em> she'd ever seen, tilting its owl head up to look at her.</p><p>"Hoo?"</p><p>"Oh, yes, I'm Amity, Miss Eda told me to come here a couple days ago. She promised to introduce me to L... to Luuu..." By the gods, she <em> had </em> to figure out how to avoid being such a flustered mess when she actually met the girl. Amity cleared her throat and tried again. "She was going to introduce me to someone she knows well." <em> Nailed it! </em></p><p>The lesser <em>tengu</em> gave her a deadpan stare before nodding with a confirmatory hoot and sliding the door shut once more. After a few moments it opened again and Eda stepped out, though she looked notably different from the last time Amity had seen her. Her wings were gone, her ears were small and round, and she wasn't wearing the monk's robes Amity was familiar with seeing <em>tengu </em>wearing. Instead Eda wore an extravagant bright red <em>haori</em> patterned with colorful folding fans and goldfish over a crimson <em>kimono</em> with dark red stripes, a maroon merchant's apron tied around her waist with a symbol like an owl's face emblazoned in white. Her <em>geta</em> were also normal polished-black wooden ones instead of the tall single-toothed <em>tengu</em> <em>geta.</em></p><p> "Ready to go, kid?" Receiving a nod, Eda beckoned for Amity to follow and they made their way to the main road leading into town. Even in the morning it was bustling with activity, people coming and going on whatever business they had. Amity made sure to follow close behind Eda, feeling anxious at being surrounded by so many humans. It was odd, she'd met much more dangerous and powerful beings before, and yet every time she noticed one staring at her she felt a pang of anxiety. Most likely it was due to the dire warnings she'd received about maintaining her disguise; she constantly felt the urge to check her ears, feel for her tail, make sure everything was <em> absolutely perfect </em> but she resisted. </p><p>Eda on the other hand looked like she was in her natural element, shouting out greetings to various shopkeepers and passersby and being greeted in return. Sometimes she would stop for a brief moment to converse and banter with someone, other times she'd catcall and jeer at what were likely familiar faces, judging by the laughs she received instead of angry or frustrated retorts. It was a clear testament to just how much time she'd spent amongst these humans and Amity had a feeling Eda's experience had played a large role in Lilith's decision to ask her for help.</p><p>Eventually the roads widened and the crowds lessened, the lines of shops and alleys giving way to large residential estates. Amity looked about curiously, wondering where Eda was leading her. They were clearly in the district for the nobility and the wealthy; was Luz a noble's daughter? Amity felt her stomach attempting backflips (and failing miserably) and did her best to calm her nerves. She was the daughter of a prominent <em> kitsune </em> bloodline; she was practically the equivalent if not greater than human nobility! There was nothing to worry about.</p><p>Well, nothing except that there was no way she could mention that. She was essentially a nobody here in the world of humans, something that was both terrifying and exhilarating. But while Amity had already met Luz before and was confident... well, was hopeful that the girl wouldn't judge her for that, she had no idea what Luz's mother was like and wished she had thought to ask Eda more about the woman beforehand. A memory of her own mother surfaced and she quickly quashed it, telling herself that there was no way anyone who raised someone as sweet and kind and gentle and warm as Luz would be even remotely similar. Or at least she hoped so.</p><p>Eda finally led them up to one of the estate entrances, the thick wooden gates firmly shut. She turned to regard the <em> kitsune </em>, eyes twinkling with some mischief that Amity had yet to figure out. "You ready for this, kid?"</p><p>Letting out a slow breath, Amity nodded, steadying her nerves as Eda pushed the gate open. As they stepped through, Eda pushing the gate shut behind them, Amity took the opportunity to examine their surroundings in an effort to further distract herself from her anxieties. The first thing she noticed was that, while large and still impressive, it didn't seem particularly decadent. Trees and bushes were positioned in a thoughtful, tasteful way, with scattered patches of flowers  creating patterns of color, but there wasn't too much else in the way of decoration. On closer look, some areas were a little more overgrown, a little wild, as though lacking a firm hand in guiding their growth.</p><p>"Oh by the way, try not to upset the <em> inugami. </em> He's a bit moody sometimes," Eda said casually as she passed Amity. The fox paused, looking at the <em> tengu </em> in confusion.</p><p>"Wait, there's a--"</p><p><em> "Who dares trespass upon MY domain?!" </em> a sudden spectral roar sounded in her ears, startling Amity and she leapt behind Eda as black clouds of smoke pooled together into the form of a black-furred shiba inu. Except this shiba inu stood on its hind legs and its face was a ghastly skull with a pair of horns jutting up where its ears would be, though one was broken in half. Red irises set into bright yellow eyes glared at Amity and the fox took an involuntary step back.</p><p>Powerful guardian spirit aside, as a fox she just didn't do very well when it came to dogs.</p><p>Eda snorted in amusement, her eyes rolling at the <em> inugami. </em> "She's with me, King. I'm taking her to meet the family. Don't worry, she's harmless. I can vouch for her."</p><p>The spirit named "King'' peered suspiciously at Amity before nodding imperiously at Eda, his ghostly voice reverberating through the air as he spoke. <em> "Very well, I shall allow her presence." </em> He abruptly glared at Amity again, pointing at her with one of his forepaws. <em> "But one toe out of line and it's curtains for you, missy!" </em> With that final warning his form dissipated back into smoke and vanished from sight. </p><p>"Well that went better than expected," Eda said with a laugh. "But yeah, they've got a powerful family guardian looking after them. Don't worry, he's a total softie; toss him a few treats, rub his belly every so often, things like that. I'm sure he'll leave you alone once you start hangin' out with Luz." Amity wished she was as certain as Eda seemed to feel, but given that she was evidently a regular visitor to the estate she decided against asking any more questions.</p><p>Following Eda into the main house, Amity began noticing other little details, things like the floor and furnishings being only lightly polished or not at all, some scuff marks or bits of damage that had yet to be fully repaired or were only temporarily patched up. It was a little concerning, if she were being honest. This was a noble's estate, wasn't it? She tried to imagine Lilith's home or even, gods forbid, her parents' dwelling in such a state but couldn't. </p><p>Amity had no doubt Eda knew everything, probably even expected that Amity would make such observations. The temptation to ask her directly, here and now, about everything was great, but she repressed it. Now wasn't the time. She could always track down Eda later or find out for herself, if she was going to be spending any amount of time with Luz after today. </p><p>Finally Eda slid a door open, revealing a spacious <em> tatami </em> -floored room, a low table set in the middle. Food had already been laid out with a generous but surprisingly simple spread, sitting alongside still-steaming cups of tea. There were two cushions laid out on the side closest to the door, and on the other side sat a woman that looked <em> very </em> similar to someone Amity knew. Her soft brown skin, the inquisitive brown eyes, dark brown hair pulled up into a bun, it was all very reminiscent of a certain girl.</p><p>Amity swallowed nervously, realizing that this had to be Luz's <em> mother. </em></p><p>"Eda! It's good to see you again," the woman said, smiling at the disguised <em> tengu </em>.</p><p>"Cami! It's been far too long," Eda said with a cheeky grin, making the other woman chuckle. She swiftly guided Amity over to take a place at the table, kneeling in the spot next to her and looking eagerly at the food. But she reigned herself in, remembering what she had come by for. "Amity, this is Camila Noceda. Cami, this is Amity, the kid I was telling you about."</p><p>Hearing that Eda had been talking with <em> Luz's mother </em> about her made Amity freeze on the spot, her heart stopping, as Camila smiled at her. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Amity. Eda has told me a lot about your situation, and I'm glad to see you made it safe and sound." She gave her a kind, sympathetic smile that only increased the questions Amity had; out of the corner of her eye she could see Eda's grin turning sly and had to resist the urge to grimace.</p><p><em> I should not have left it completely up to her. </em> Despite the anxiety now churning in her stomach, Amity was able to force a smile to her face. "O-Oh did she? Well, um, whatever you may have heard, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Noceda," she said with a bow.</p><p>Camila let out a soft laugh, waving a hand at her. "There's no need to be so formal, there's no one around right now that will judge. Just Camila is fine." She turned to Eda and, seeing her staring hungrily at the meal laid out before them, let out another laugh. "But where are my manners? Come, let's eat."</p><p>"Don't mind if I do!" Eda exclaimed, and even Amity couldn't help but giggle at her eagerness. With a short prayer of thanks they picked up their chopsticks and ate, Amity humming in delight at the taste. The food wasn't particularly fancy or exotic or anything of the sort, but it was filling and it gave her a sense of warmth. Perhaps it was the company as well; Camila was a polite host, asking Amity questions about herself from time to time. Nothing particularly invasive, mostly about her interests, the <em> kitsune </em> doing her best to answer without letting slip any hints about her nonhuman nature.</p><p>It was after the food had been eaten and empty dishes cleared away (Eda sitting back and looking extremely satisfied, much to Amity and Camila's amusement) that Amity heard a familiar voice loudly call out. "<em> Mami </em> I'm home!" She had barely a few minutes to prepare herself before the door slid open to reveal tanned skin, messy dark brown hair, and doe-brown eyes that thankfully glanced at her for only a moment before noticing Eda. The girl threw herself at the <em> tengu </em>, letting out a shout of delight. "Eda!"</p><p>"Whoa, hey, easy there kiddo!" Eda scolded, but she couldn't keep the laughter and fondness out of her voice as she caught her and tousled her hair. Camila watched their interaction with a fond smile of her own on her face and Amity couldn't resist smiling at the sight either. Apparently it wasn't just the mother Eda was on good terms with.</p><p>Finally, the moment came. Luz's eyes fell on Amity, who fought to keep a blush off her face as their gazes met, and the human girl pulled away from Eda with a bright and somewhat apologetic smile. "Oh! I'm sorry, I got so excited when I saw Eda was here, I'm Luz, Luz Noceda!" She bowed and Amity was quick to bow back, lowering her head further than Luz.</p><p>"No, it's all right, my name is Amity. It's a pleasure to meet you, L-Luz." Amity bit back an embarrassed groan at the small stutter that managed to slip in at the last moment, but forgot about it instantly when she looked up only to find Luz's face mere inches away, looking at her inquisitively. With a startled yelp, she fell back in an undignified heap, a blush burning its way through her face and ears, her heart thumping louder than she'd ever heard it before.</p><p>She could hear Eda cackling loudly at her, but that detail faded into insignificance when Luz offered her a hand, looking chagrined. "Sorry, Mom always scolds me about personal space when meeting new people, but you're so pretty I couldn't help it."</p><p>Even as she accepted Luz's helping hand, Amity's brain short circuited as she registered the compliment; if she were in her true form, she had no doubt her tail would be waving about excitedly, her ears madly twitching. In fact, it was taking all she had to keep her disguise from falling away as-is. Holding Luz's hand wasn't helping matters, but it at least kept her from collapsing into a pile of mush.</p><p>Once she was on her feet, Amity managed to stammer out, "I-It's fine, don't worry about it, I just wasn't expecting it, that's all." She ignored the twinge of disappointment she felt as Luz let go of her hand, instead focusing on giving Luz a reassuring smile. "I really am happy to meet you," she said earnestly, enjoying the warmth that washed over her at Luz's bashful smile. </p><p>Eda glanced over at Camila, smirking at the girls' interaction. "So, whaddya think, Cami? Because I think this one's a keeper."</p><p>"You introduced her, of course you do," Camila replied with a smile, rolling her eyes. She turned to Amity and bowed, a pleased twinkle in her eyes as she looked at the two girls. "But yes, I agree. Amity, thank you so much. I hope to continue counting on you in the future and trust that my daughter is in good hands with you by her side."</p><p>A dark blush encompassed Amity's face as she bowed in return, not entirely sure what to make of her words. Luckily, Luz was the one who voiced aloud the question on her mind. "Wait, <em> Mami </em>, what are you talking about?"</p><p>"What she's saying, kid," Eda drawled, her smirk only growing as she watched Amity, "is that starting today, Amity here is your new handmaiden." When Amity looked at her in shock, she could see Eda's shoulders shaking in barely restrained laughter, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Congratulations! You made a new friend and you've got a place to stay."</p><p>"Indeed." Camila nodded sagely, her expression turning sympathetic as she regarded Amity. "There's no need to worry about going back; from now on, our home is yours as well. You may be serving as Luz's handmaiden, but you will be treated as one of the family."</p><p>Amity was frozen in shock. This... was a lot more than she had bargained for. And judging by Eda's reaction, entirely planned for. <em> I've been had! </em> The <em> tengu </em> had done more than just introduce her to Luz; not that Amity was complaining, really, she never imagined she'd be able to spend so much time with the object of her affection. But being able to see her every day, living under the same roof, attending to her every need... Amity felt faint as she desperately cleared her mind of the fantasies that popped in to occupy it. </p><p>Meanwhile, Luz looked simultaneously excited and anxious at the same time, barely able to contain a smile yet her body language oddly hesitant and uncertain as she looked back and forth between Amity and her mother. Her reaction caused a sinking feeling in Amity's gut, the disguised fox fighting back tears at the aching in her heart. <em> Right, of course she'd be uncomfortable, she barely knows who I am and this is asking a lot of her to put up with all at once. </em></p><p>"Is this really okay?" Luz said softly. "I mean," she turned to give Amity a meaningful look, concern in her eyes, "I don't want to be a bother to you or anything and I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything you don't want to because of me."</p><p>It suddenly became <em> very </em> difficult for Amity to hold back her tears from the swell of affection that washed over her, touched that Luz was concerned about how <em> she </em> felt. She smiled reassuringly at Luz, hands clasped shyly in front of her. "It's perfectly fine, really. If I'm going to be allowed to live here, I want to be able to help out in some way. A-And besides," Amity added, her cheeks turning rosy as she bashfully looked away, "if being your handmaiden means I get to be your friend, then it'll be worth it."</p><p>After a moment of silence, Amity turned to see Luz staring at her with an incredibly happy smile, a look in her eyes telling her that statement had meant the world to her. An incredibly warm, bubbly feeling rose up within her, causing Amity to marvel at how <em> good </em> it felt to know she had been the one to make Luz look so happy. Especially now, as a person who could tell Luz her honest thoughts and not pretending to be a simple-minded fox. </p><p><em> If her happiness makes </em> me <em> feel this happy, </em> she thought resolutely, unable to look away as Luz's infectious smile found its way onto her own face, <em> then I will do whatever it takes to ensure her happiness. No matter what. </em></p><p>"Ugh you kids are gonna make me sick," Eda gagged, her face scrunched up in an expression of disgust as Camila chuckled at the <em> tengu </em>'s reaction. With a dismissive wave, she said, "Why don't you show Amity here to her room, kiddo? I'm sure you can pick a good one out for her. I'll just be here chatting with your mom a while longer." At Luz's questioning glance Camila nodded, making the girl's face light up in excitement.</p><p>"Come on, Amity! I know the perfect room for you!" Luz exclaimed, grabbing Amity by the hand and pulling her along. The <em> kitsune </em> didn't resist, giggling as Luz began an impromptu tour of the main house. </p><p>As it turned out, the perfect room was situated directly down the hall from Luz's room. It was simply furnished, but Amity couldn't remember ever having a place she felt more at home. Amity stood in the room, looking around with wide eyes, Luz standing behind her in the doorway shifting around anxiously as she watched her reaction. </p><p>Finally, unable to contain herself, she blurted out, "Is it good? Should we find a different room? I want you to feel comfortable since you're living here now and I really don't ever want to make you feel like we not trying to make you feel welcome or anything and--"</p><p>"Luz, Luz, it's okay," Amity said, turning to face her with a small, grateful smile that spoke volumes about how she felt. That sight, of Amity framed by the sunlight streaming through the window, practically glowing as she smiled at her, burned itself into Luz's memory and she felt her heart skip a beat.</p><p>Before she had a moment to ponder why, Amity had taken Luz's hands in hers, a small blush lighting her cheeks at her sudden moment of boldness. "I love it. It's absolutely perfect."</p><p>They stood there like that for a long moment, basking in the warmth of each other's presence. But the sound of approaching footsteps snapped them out of it and they seperated with blushing faces. If Camila noticed the pink in their cheeks she showed no sign, but Eda was grinning so widely at the two of them that it only increased their embarrassment.</p><p>"<em> Mija </em>, why don't you show Amity the flower garden? It's a beautiful day and there's still time before the sun sets."</p><p>Luz turned to Amity with a grin, bouncing on her toes and excitement gleaming in her eyes. "What do you say? Would you like to go?" Though she already knew the garden Camila was talking about, Amity wasn't about to admit that. Instead she simply nodded, feeling her own smile growing as Luz took her by the hand to lead the way as they bid goodbye to the adults and went outside. Just before exiting through the gates of the estate, Amity spotted King giving her a warning glare before waving a cheery goodbye at Luz, who, naturally, couldn't see it.</p><p>She supposed it was the thought that counts.</p><p>It didn't take long to get to their destination, thanks to Luz knowing all the shortcuts that led the way there, away from crowds and people that might've slowed their progress. Amity gazed out over the fields of multicolored flowers, admiring the beauty of the wisteria blooms that hung over the garden like seas of soft, flowery curtains. Luz still had her by the hand as she led her to a familiar spot nestled between a pair of wisteria-laden trees, patting the spot next to her as she kneeled down amongst the flowers. </p><p>Once they were settled down, they simply relaxed, enjoying the atmosphere and each other's company. But Amity couldn't help noticing the way Luz peered around as though looking for something. After a little while of this, she finally spoke up. "Is everything okay, Luz?"</p><p>The other girl jumped, startled by the sudden question, before letting out a small laugh. "Oh! Yeah, yeah, it's just..." A small frown came upon Luz's face as she looked worriedly around, her brows furrowed. "There's a friend I usually meet here, but I haven't seen them around lately. It's been a few days and I'm getting kind of worried. I was hoping they'd be here and you could meet them, but..."</p><p>A pang of guilt ran through Amity as she realized she knew <em> exactly </em> who Luz was talking about. She shifted uncomfortably, Luz thankfully too distracted to notice, feeling her heart sink at the look on Luz's face. "What is your, uh, friend like?"</p><p>Luz smiled fondly as she spoke. "They're really sweet. They always seemed to know when I was feeling down and how to cheer me up; I don't think I could ever stop smiling when they were around!" She looked down at her hands as she began to fidget, looking a little anxious. "I guess it's a bit silly, but they were pretty much my first friend. I don't really get along with any of the other kids, especially Boscha, and, well... It was nice, having someone to spend time with like that."</p><p>The guilt continued to twist in Amity's gut as she struggled to find something to say. She had been so wrapped up in her excitement with her idea, she'd completely forgotten. Luz had even told her before that she, as a fox, had been Luz's only friend!</p><p>A realization struck her and Amity took a breath to steady her nerves before gently reaching over and placing a hand on Luz's shoulder. When the other girl turned to face her, Amity looked her in the eyes and said, "I'm sure they're fine, Luz. Maybe something came up. But they're not your only friend anymore." A light blush dusted her cheeks but Amity dug up her courage and pressed on, "We may have just met today, but I'd like to be your friend, too. I told you earlier, didn't I? That being your handmaiden is worth it as long as I get to be your friend."</p><p>The smile that lit up Luz's face was dazzling, almost blinding. Amity felt as though she were looking at the sun, so bright and so warm. She felt her lips curling up into a smile of her own at the sight, a feeling of joy bubbling up within her. <em> Her happiness really means this much to me, doesn't it? </em></p><p>That glowing feeling lasted the rest of their time at the garden, Luz having been cheered immensely by Amity's words. She celebrated their friendship with flower crowns, making matching ones for her and Amity that they still wore as they left the garden. <em> This </em> , Amity thought with a smile, listening to Luz ramble on excitedly about all the places she wanted to show her, <em> was a wonderful first day. </em></p><p>They were nearly back to the estate when Luz froze, her smile fading at the sight of a group of girls ahead of them, walking in the direction they were coming from. She quickly forced a grin back up, but not before Amity noticed the change in her attitude. The <em> kitsune </em>'s eyes narrowed and she fought back an urge to bare her (currently nonexisting) fangs and snarl at the source of Luz's distress. Instead she maintained an outward appearance of cool, calm composure as she turned to regard the girls coming towards them, purposefully now as they noticed the pair.</p><p>It was a group of four, all dressed in what could only be described as the most obnoxiously expensive silk <em> kimono </em> that money could buy for girls their age. Amity snorted in derision, thinking privately that they were only a few steps shy of being mistaken for <em> geisha </em>, and wouldn't that just be scandalous. Then she took another look and no, one of them was dressed in much finer robes than the rest, a jewelled hair ornament in her hair glinting in the light of the setting sun.</p><p>Amity immediately dismissed the other girls as nonentities as her attention zeroed in on the clear leader, the other three having fallen into step behind her as they neared. This girl had pink hair pulled up into an elaborate bun decorated with a no doubt expensive hair ornament, her <em> kimono </em> an elegant and eye-searing gold lavishly decorated with multicolored dragonflies and koi fish that shimmered in the light, held in place by an extravagantly tied pink <em> obi </em>. There was a look in her eyes, a cold steely blue color, that Amity did not like, and a smirk on her face that Amity wanted to smack right off.</p><p>She could practically feel Luz's anxiety grow the closer the other girls got and casually bumped her with her hip to remind her that she wasn't alone. It seemed to work somewhat, as Luz shot her a quick, thankful grin, before schooling her face into a polite smile she faced towards the other girls. "Hi Amelia, Cat, Skara... and Boscha."</p><p>Luckily it seemed only Amity noticed the slight hesitation in Luz's voice, as she didn't see any of the others give any sign they'd heard it. Boscha's face broke into a downright predatory smirk that made Amity decide right there on the spot that she despised the girl. "Why hello there, Luz... Er, and who is this?" she added innocently as she turned to address Amity, but the fox did not miss the way Luz flinched. </p><p>For now, however, she minded her manners as Luz introduced her. "Um, this is Amity. She's... she just recently joined as my handmaiden. Amity, this is Boscha, she's the daughter of one of the local lords..."</p><p>"One of the more <em> influential </em> and <em> wealthy </em> lords in the district," Boscha interrupted snidely, taking obvious pleasure in the way Luz faltered, her composure cracking slightly. Amity felt a white-hot anger flare up in her gut. Oh no, she didn't just despise the girl, she downright <em> hated </em> her and the way she was treating Luz. The girls with Boscha giggled as though she'd made some hilarious joke, and Amity decided to lump them together with Boscha in her mind.</p><p>Boscha regarded Amity with an appraising look, one eyebrow raised as she looked her up and down. "Of all the noble households you chose <em> them </em>? Oh you poor thing, you must have been absolutely desperate," she said, sickly sweet sympathy dripping in her tone. Even worse, Amity felt that she was earnest in her sympathy and she felt her anger burn even hotter.</p><p>"I know!" Boscha clapped her hands together with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which continued to flick almost imperceptibly towards Luz as she spoke. "Why don't you come visit my estate? You might even find that there are <em> others </em> much better suited to providing you with everything you could ever want."</p><p>Amity didn't have to look at Luz to know that her composure was fracturing into pieces, knowing that Boscha was choosing her words carefully and purposefully. She knew this tactic. In her mind's eye, two tall shadowy figures leered down at her, whispering words that stung with every barb, words spoken to others yet clearly directed at her. </p><p>And that was enough to send Amity straight from hating Boscha directly into <em> loathing </em> her with every fiber of her being. If there hadn't been such ardent need to keep her true form a secret, she would not have hesitated to unleash her full might and reduce that <em> arrogant, stuck-up little-- </em>well, reduce her into a quivering pile of ash.</p><p>But Amity also knew that, as Luz's handmaiden, she represented not only Luz but the Noceda household. So she had to be very careful about the words she said next, lest Boscha use it against them. And she did not want to be the one responsible for whatever Boscha would do to hurt Luz and her mother.</p><p>Luckily, she had just as much experience in weaponizing her words as any noble's daughter in dire need of an ego reduction.</p><p>"That's very kind of you," Amity said, a sickly sweetness dripping in her voice that Luz picked up on, looking at Amity with wide eyes, "but I'm afraid I'm currently wanting for naught at the moment. I have <em> everything </em> I could ever need." At that moment her hand closed around Luz's, giving her a reassuring squeeze.</p><p>"And as for what I want?" Her amber eyes met Boscha's grey ones, and she was satisfied to see a look of simmering anger building in them. She put on her best, most condescending, and downright arrogant smirk as she tilted her head to look down her nose at Boscha, almost dismissively so. "Well, I am only a mere handmaiden. It would be <em> exceedingly </em> rude of me to ask for anything that might place me above Luz, especially whenever we are out in public together. People may get <em> ideas </em> about who is actually the handmaiden in our relationship."</p><p>The three girls behind Boscha exchanged uncertain, uneasy glances, shifting uncomfortably, while Boscha herself was practically grinding her teeth at Amity's words. Meanwhile Luz was staring at Amity with her mouth hanging open, but her eyes were shining with barely restrained tears. Her hand was gripping Amity's tightly as though scared the loss of contact would separate them forever.</p><p>Boscha continued her staring match with Amity a little longer before she caved, letting out an annoyed scoff and turning away. "Whatever. Come, let's return to the estate." Her handmaidens followed her dutifully as she stalked away and Amity grinned as a prank sprang to mind. Without missing a beat, she led Luz to the gates of the Noceda estate, waiting until they were fully covered by the awning over the gate's entrance before using her free hand to secretly trace a small spell circle.</p><p>A brief, sudden shower of rain fell from an otherwise empty and clear sky. Amity allowed herself a giggle of delight as the startled and frustrated screams and yells of Boscha and her posse reached her ears. Meanwhile, Luz looked about in wonder at the sudden sunshower, her eyes sparkling. </p><p>"A fox's wedding," she whispered and Amity felt her heart suddenly stop at her words, a fiery heat enveloping her face and spreading to the tips of her ears.</p><p>"A-A what?" Amity asked, looking at Luz.</p><p>"<em> Mami </em> always said that when rain falls on a clear, sunny day, that means a fox is celebrating a wedding," Luz explained, her voice giddy. "I bet that's why my little buddy hasn't shown up at the garden! They were getting married! Aw, I feel bad for worrying so much now." Noticing that Amity was staring at her she grinned apologetically, scratching her cheek with her free hand. "Oops, did I not mention that my other friend is a fox? Sorry."</p><p>Shaking her head, Amity fought to control her blush, suddenly <em> very </em> aware of the warmth of Luz's hand in hers yet at the same time feeling extremely unwilling to relinquish her hold on it. "N-No, it's not... Anyways!" She cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at the smiling Luz before her eyes spotted a shimmer of colors in the air. "Oh, look!"</p><p>"A rainbow!" Luz gasped with delight, Amity grateful that her attention was no longer on her as she watched Luz's eyes light up. "It's beautiful," she cooed softly.</p><p>"Yeah," Amity agreed, her eyes never leaving Luz's face for a moment as she drank in the sight of seeing the human so happy, her lips curling into a wistful, affectionate smile of her own, "it really is."</p><p>And thus began Amity's life as Luz Noceda's loyal handmaiden, beneath a rainbow in the heart of a beautiful spring.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A huge, huge thanks to amitylovemail on Instagram and Twitter (luzbian on Ao3) for her work on this commission! Her art is adorable and wonderful and I can't stop looking at it help!</p><p>Yokai terminology!</p><p>Kitsune - A fox with magical powers, they run the gamut from good to evil, and are notorious shapeshifting tricksters. </p><p>Tengu - Humanoids with bird wings, usually with either the head of a bird or a long-nosed old man. Powerful and divine.</p><p>Inugami - A dog spirit that often serves as a familiar or guardian for an individual or a family, it is fiercely loyal... unless it is mistreated.</p><p>And while you're here, I extend an invitation to come on down to the Good Witch Society server on Discord! We're a super supportive group just overflowing with positivity, and a great place for creators of all sorts to hang out! Do you like drawing? Writing? Collaborating with other writers and artists for a project? You'll find all sorts here, so come on down and join the chaos! It's a heck of a lotta fun.</p><p>https://discord.gg/sX8BVjN8r7</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>